Grass Carp Found Farther North In MN Than Ever Before

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The DNR said a grass carp specimen has been found in the Mississippi River north of Sartell, Minn., the farthest north a carp has been discovered in Minnesota.

A bow fishing angler shot the 25-pound grass carp, an exotic species that previously had only been found in the state much farther south, the DNR said.

DNR fisheries biologists said the fish could not have gotten past the dams at Coon Rapids, St. Cloud and Sartell, therefore it must have been released intentionally, or escaped via flood waters from a private pond.

And, possession of grass carp is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Bighead and silver carp cause more problems more frequently, grass carp is another species that cause environmental harm as they are voracious consumers of aquatic vegetation.